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Whitewashing Torture In Front of the CIA

Whitewashing Torture In Front of the CIA

Ok, I understand these are hard-working civil servants. A lot of themdo wonderful, conscientious, vital work, etc. I understand theimportance for a new president to show he supports them, "feels theirpain," etc. But his whitewashing of the past was pretty disgusting.He said something to the extent of "mistakes that were potentiallymade in the past." Sorry. That's not good enough. Not at all. Forcingwater down someone's throat to trigger the drowning reflex six times aday every day for a month is not a "mistake potentially made in thepast," and no degree of euphemism, spinning or wanting to "lookforward" makes it anything other than a war crime.

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Ok, I understand these are hard-working civil servants. A lot of themdo wonderful, conscientious, vital work, etc. I understand theimportance for a new president to show he supports them, “feels theirpain,” etc. But his whitewashing of the past was pretty disgusting.He said something to the extent of “mistakes that were potentiallymade in the past.” Sorry. That’s not good enough. Not at all. Forcingwater down someone’s throat to trigger the drowning reflex six times aday every day for a month is not a “mistake potentially made in thepast,” and no degree of euphemism, spinning or wanting to “lookforward” makes it anything other than a war crime.

Chris HayesTwitterChris Hayes is the Editor-at-Large of The Nation and host of “All In with Chris Hayes” on MSNBC.